Bindery Apprenticeship
This is a two-year commitment, with opportunities beyond, for learning fine edition bookbinding through on-the-job training from experienced bookbinders. This is not a creative design opportunity, but a chance to learn and diligently employ highly specialized craft skills in the field of bookbinding. No experience is required, but the ideal candidate will have training applicable to mechanical and production experience, and be able to work collaboratively with others. You will be responsible for working within a team to make fine press editions of our publications, for sale to the public. Expected 40hr/wk, on-site, 8:30am-5pm, Monday-Friday.
Apply by September 30, 2021. Flexible start date around February 1, 2022.
Type Foundry Apprenticeship
The type foundry apprenticeship is a two-year commitment to learn typography, typecasting, and Monotype type composition through on-the-job training from experienced typecasters. The casting equipment is very old and complicated; it requires many hours of hands-on training in order to become an independent operator. While the apprenticeship might include occasional opportunities to learn basic letterpress printing skills, the primary focus is in the type foundry. Apprentices learn to set up, operate, monitor, and maintain the intricate typecasting equipment. Tasks include: maintenance and cleaning of hot metal type casting equipment; setting up casters for in-house and customer orders; shipping, receiving, general filing, and cataloguing. This is light industrial work in a metal shop, and the ideal candidate will have mechanical aptitude and be comfortable working around machinery. Type casters wear coveralls and protective footwear, do intensive manual work, frequently move heavy objects around the shop, and execute repetitive tasks that can last from hours to weeks at a time. Occasionally apprentices will be requested to assist with special evening or weekend book promotion or gallery events. Expected 40hr/wk, on-site, 8:30am-5pm, Monday-Friday.
Apply by September 30, 2021. Flexible start date around February 1, 2022.
Volunteer Tour Docent
Volunteer for the Grabhorn Institute at Arion Press by leading tours. The Press is rich in history and is one of the last studios of its kind – as one of the few remaining facilities with a complete type foundry, letterpress print shop, and hand book bindery under one roof. We’d love to teach you our history to share it with visitors from around the world. Regular public tours are currently on pause, but we hope to resume them starting in January 2022. Please fill out the volunteer docent form if you’d like to learn more about this opportunity.